PLATTSMOUTH COFFEE HOUSE BENEFIT: Terry Little's 21st Annual Coffee House will be held Sat, Feb 1 at St. John's gym, beginning at 7PM. It is an evening of folk music and fun presented by a host of talented musicians and singers from the area. There is no charge to attend. However, all freewill donations collected at the door will benefit the relief efforts and needs of the recovery actions from the recent downtown Plattsmouth fire. This is an evening for adults (please, no children). Costumes / outfits from the 60's era (hippie, beatnik, bell bottoms, beads, Roman sandals, mu-mu's, suede and velours) are encouraged. Prizes will be awarded. Coffee will be served but attendees are invited to bring snacks and beverages to share.

To Pre-Register: Please e-mail or call Toni Jafferis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 402-613-4499

WANTED!!!!

I am looking through the years 1900s-Present day of you, mother, father, grandmother, or your children in car seats. Please provide a small caption. PHOTOS RECEIVED will be published in upcoming Plattsmouth Newsletters!

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The Cass County Republican Party will host its annual Lincoln-Eisenhower-Reagan Dinner on Tuesday the 18th of February at the County Fairgrounds in Weeping Water.

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Sec. Gale testifies in support of three election bills

LINCOLN – Saying that his office was prepared to take the next steps toward expanding elections in Nebraska as well as making them more modern and secure, Secretary Gale testified today in support of three bills before the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

The first one would allow the Secretary of State’s office to create and maintain a secure online voter registration system. “That system would be available to anyone who has a Nebraska driver’s license or state-issued ID card and would permit them to register or update their voter registration through a website or through the Department of Motor Vehicles,” said Gale.

Gale said the bill also makes provisions for transmitting those registrations to the appropriate county election officials and allows the Secretary of State’s office to obtain the last four digits of a registrant’s social security number, driver’s license number and signature.

“All of those components are necessary to making this system work and I appreciate the fact that the DMV is onboard with this project,” explained Gale. “A number of states are already using online registration or are about to implement it themselves. It’s proven to be secure and my office will work hard to insure that the information transmitted to our system is also protected.”

Speaking about LB 662, Gale said he recognized that while Nebraska has experienced only rare instances of voter fraud in statewide elections, analysis conducted by his office revealed two key areas where the potential for fraud might exist.

“I do think a government-issued ID is appropriate for the two scenarios described in LB 662.”

Gale said those instances include certain first-time registrations submitted by mail and voters who have indicated by written notice to the U.S. Post Office that they have moved in-state or out-of-state, but failed to return a confirmation notice of their change of address with local election officials.

“Ultimately, those people remain on our statewide voter registration database for at least four years as required by federal law. While large numbers are deleted every two years, there is always an average of 100,000 or so who are inactive. However, we have no idea of where they really are unless they register. If they don’t re-register at their new location and suddenly show up at their old polling place to vote, we want to make sure they can confirm who they say they are.”

Addressing the third bill, LB 663, Gale spoke in favor of expanding special elections conducted by mail and lifting the population limit for counties who wish to utilize all-mail elections in rural precincts.

“Currently, only counties with a population of less than 10,000 can apply to my office to hold elections by mail. However, the larger counties also have rural precincts and would benefit from having all-mail elections instead of requiring voters to go to the polls. In addition to cost-savings, all-mail elections also offer convenience to the voters and have been found to result in higher election participation.”

Gale said LB 663 would make all counties eligible for mail in elections in their rural precincts. It would also allow counties to designate mail in elections for candidate issues, as well as economic issues.

“This legislation would expand all-mail special elections to include things like office recalls and vacancies. Until now, mail in balloting has been limited to school bonds, sales tax increases, levy overrides and similar issues.”

Gale said that allowing citizens to vote by mail seems to result in increased participation when compared to voting at the polls.

“The more citizens who vote, the more likely you are to have a consensus on issues of local importance. Participation is vital for a vibrant democracy.”

Bills 662 and 663 were sponsored by Senator Bob Krist of Omaha. He, along with Senator Heath Mello of Omaha also sponsored LB 661.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced today that her staff will be holding local office hours in Cass County and Otoe County on Thursday, February 6, 2014. These office hours serve as a more convenient opportunity for constituents to meet personally with staff regarding federal casework assistance or other issues at the federal level.

Sarah Skinner, Constituent Services and Outreach Representative for Fischer, will be holding local office hours at the times and locations below:

Cass County CourthouseCommissioner’s Room

346 Main Street

Plattsmouth, NE 680489:30 am – 11:30 am CST

2014 Spring Class Schedule

Join us for this exciting Webinar series, Gardening At Lunch, right from your desk at work or home.

You must pre-register for each program, and will need a computer with internet access and a phone to participate. During each program, you can view, listen, and interact with the speakers.

If you want to join this program but do not have a computer, check with your local Extension office to see if they can set up an area to show it to those who would like to join in the program but don’t have access to a computer or the internet at home, work, or the library. Be sure to come early or call ahead so that you can get registered for the program before it begins.

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Last Chance to Register for Agri/Eco-Tourism Workshop

Time is running out to sign up for the Nebraska Tourism Commission’s annual Agri/Eco-Tourism Workshop on February 3-5 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Kearney. Farmers, ranchers, outfitters, vineyard operators, u-pick operators, managers of eco-tourism attractions, chamber/tourism staff and more will learn how to get the most out of their land, utilize fresh marketing ideas, discover greater financial opportunities and network with potential partners.

“While agritourism may be new to some, it has been practiced by Nebraskans who, for generations, have served up agricultural products and services with warm hospitality and down to earth charm. Today’s growing interest in agritourism offers new and additional opportunities for landowners and rural communities. It allows visitors to experience agriculture first-hand and to be a part of nature, away from the pressures of city life,” said Kathy McKillip, Director of the Nebraska Tourism Commission.

To educate current and prospective agri/eco-tourism businesses, Swanson Russell and Associates and Geiger & Associates PR, Inc., have teamed up to teach low cost and no cost ways to increase the presence of a business in the tourism marketplace. The two firms will cover everything from brand discovery to realistic marketing goals.

In addition to the low cost and no cost marketing seminar, the Keynote Speaker, Carol Patterson will be sharing her strategies about how you can reinvent your tourism organization and rediscover your passion. Carol Patterson has helped emerging tourism destinations for over two decades. Her work in product development provides innovative new travel products, some of which have increased revenues 25 percent in one season. Carol's travel writing is regularly featured in the Red Deer Advocate and she is the author of several books including “The Business of Ecotourism.”

We are currently recruiting CASA Volunteers for the upcoming trainingsession scheduled in April 2014. We only train two classes a year, call andreserve your spot today?

What does a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer do? Each CASAvolunteer is screened, trained and completes 30 hours of pre-servicetraining. Once trained, CASA volunteers are assigned under the JuvenileCourt jurisdiction to speak on behalf of a child to ensure the needs andinterests of abused and neglected children are being met.

Who are CASA volunteers? Our active volunteers are individuals from ourcommunity who work part-time, full-time or are retired. Volunteers committo one year with a child, but seldom leave a case until it has beenterminated.

If I can't be a CASA volunteer, how can I help? In addition to training newCASA volunteers, we are also in need of administrative services support suchas: filing, data entry and making copies.

Your help directly benefits the Cass County CASA Program. Adonor-supported volunteer organization whose mission is to offercourt-appointed volunteer advocacy to children that are abused, neglectedand often find themselves lost in the court system. Through Cass CountyCASA, these children are placed with advocates that speak on their behalfand know them well enough to make informed recommendations to the judge.

Please call Angie Neumiller, Executive Director at (402) 296-9620 or emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and become a CASA volunteer today.

This event inspires fiddlers everywhere to compose their own tunes, and supports the cause of string education throughout the great state of Nebraska.

1st PLACE: $100.00 2nd PLACE: $50.00 3rd PLACE: $25.00

Best Viola Tune: $75, courtesy of the American Viola Society

Entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2014. The winners will be announced on May 24, 2014, during the Monumental Fiddling Championship held at the Homestead National Monument in Beatrice, Nebraska. The winning compositions will be performed at the Monumental Fiddling Championship, and printed in Stringing Along, the journal of the Nebraska Chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

For the 2014 contest rules and guidelines, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information about the Nebraska American String Teachers Association, log on to the web site at www.neasta.org.

The composer is responsible for keeping a copy of their work, as well as for copyrighting their tune.

10. The composer understands that if their tune is one of the winners, Nebraska ASTA has permission to have the piece performed on May 25, 2013, in Beatrice, Nebraska, as well as permission to reprint the tune in Stringing Along, the newsletter of Nebraska ASTA.

Greenblatt & Seay Publications, in Avoca, Nebraska is a proud Sponsor of the Nebraska ASTA Fiddle Tune Composition Contest For more information about the Nebraska American String Teachers Association, log on to the web site at www.neasta.org.

Plattsmouth Library News

Job Opening

Applications are being accepted at City Hall for a Library Assistant at the Plattsmouth Public Library. Must be comfortable with computers and people; bending and lifting are required. The library is a great place to work with a lot of helpful coworkers. The position is 14-18 hours/week during days, evenings, and weekends. Read the job description for more information. Return the completed application to the Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 136 North 5th Street. EOE.